Priorities and Peace – January 3 Devotions

Priorities…yes, my priorities today were to get our house back in order from a hectic few days surrounding the holidays and our trip out of state. Grocery shopping, refilling bird feeders ahead of the deep freeze approaching our areas tomorrow, putting away Christmas decorations, clearing out some clutter, and catching up on household chores– and yes, the result of taking care of all those priorities was peace! Again, the theme of completion…completion of priorities resulted in peace.

So today’s devotional thought is on this topic of priorities and peace…

“To stay in perfect peace,

we should give God the best of our time and our goods.

We must be honest with ourselves

about what our priorities really are

and start making changes

to keep God in first place.

Don’t give God your leftovers;

don’t give Him the part of your day

when you’re worn out

and you can’t think straight

or hardly keep your eyes open.

Give God the first fruits of your attention.

Give Him the best part of your day.

That’s where your real priorities will be found.

Talk to God as you go about your day,

asking Him to direct you in the choices you are making

and to empower you for the jobs you need to get done.

As you acknowledge that God is always with you,

you will keep Him first in everything you set out to do,

and He will show you a direct path that will lead you to peace.

Following the moment-by-moment leading of the Holy Spirit

will cause you to enjoy every day of your life.”

–Joyce Meyer in “New Day New You”

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My reflections:

I have been making an effort to do this daily, having my prayer time/quiet time first thing in the morning. Sometimes, if possible, even before I get out of bed, I spend some time praying; if not then, at least very soon after getting up and around. It is true, too, these days turn out to be more peaceful and generally run more smoothly than those days I don’t start my daily routine that way.

~~*~~

So what are YOUR thoughts?

Do you start your day with some kind of quiet time or meditation? Have you noticed a difference when you do versus when you don’t?

6 thoughts on “Priorities and Peace – January 3 Devotions”

K Lee,
My sister was a big Joyce Meyer fan. She’s so practical. I do try to start out with quiet time, scripture and prayer. At night I listen to my favorite, Dr. Charles Stanley. He’s also practical in a different way.
I love your posts.
Amy

I LOVE your word… completion:-) Yes, I have a meditation practice in the morning and definitely notice I’m more focused when I do this. I am more of a night person and typically do most of my spiritual practices at night. I love Joyce Meyer and appreciate you sharing this piece from her.Tandy Elisala recently posted..How to Make Worry Your New Best Friend

I have never started my day with quiet reflection or meditation. Too many times I am either heading to my blog, exercising (which isn’t a bad thing, of course) or reading emails. It’s an idea, focusing on something outside of myself.Alana recently posted..Music Monday – Unforgettable